SANTA MONICA—The Santa Monica Public Library (SMPL) will be holding The Big Read Kick-off Celebration on March 29 at 12.30 p.m. in the Main Library’s North Courtyard, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard.

The Big Read is a program under the National Endowment for the Arts, according to SMPL’s website, and its purpose is “to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and to encourage citizens to read for pleasure and enlightenment.” The Big Read 2014 will focus on “Into the Beautiful North” by Luis Alberto Urrea, who is a member of the Latino Literature Hall of Fame and a 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist for nonfiction.

"Into the Beautiful North."

“Into the Beautiful North” is a book about the journey of a young girl from
Mexico, who travels into the
United States to recruit men who will defend her hometown from drug-dealers. The SMPL website claims that “Urrea uses humor and compassion to address issues of cultural differences and to depict the many borders in life that both divide and connect.”

The City of
Santa Monica reports that the celebration will begin with a free outdoor concert featuring Alfredo López, Isaac Ruben Izquierdo and Jorge Andres Herrera, who will be performing traditional Mexican music. Mexican food and a paper flower-making activity will also be available to the attendees.

Individuals who are interested or wish to participate in The Big Read may obtain an Event Guide and Reader’s Guide from any SMPL location, or find out more information at the SMPL website: http://smpl.org/Urrea2014.aspx.